Cloth article



April 1961 K. F. DlEHM ETAL 2,978,771

CLOTH ARTICLE Filed March 17, 1958 Fig. .8 H9.

Fig. 3

/l "I I v I I 38 2 I 1 Fly. 2v '8 g I]: in I I l :I: I A 1% INVENTORJ KENNETH F. DIEHM B BY WILLIAM T- LEONARD WNW ATTORNEY CLOTH ARTICLE Kenneth F. Diehm, Temple, and William T. Leonard, Reading, Pa., assignors to Irving Constant, New York,

Filed Mar. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 722,047

6 Claims. (Cl. 24-205.1)

The present invention relates to a cloth article, and more particularly to a cloth article comprising a concealed slide fastener which closely simulates a seam when the slide fastener is inclosed disposition. It has long been desirable to eliminate the exposure of metallic elements in a cloth article having a slide fastener as its closure means. For example, in womens blouses, dresses, skirts, and the fly of mens trousers, the appearance of the exposed metal fastener elements is both unsightly and undesirable. In fact, it is almost universal practice to conceal the slide fastener used as a closure for the fly of mens trousers by a cloth flap.

Particularly in womens wear where form-fitting characteristics are particularly desirable, the exposed elements of a slide fastener in its closed disposition constitute a definite fashion problem.

This invention has as an object the provision of a novel concealed slide fastener and a cloth article employing the same.

This invention has as yet another object the provision of a cloth article in which the fastener elements of a slide fastener are protected from the outside atmosphere.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

By cloth article as used herein is meant to include all varieties of garments made from cloth including blouses, shirts, dresses, skirts, trousers, jackets, coats, robes, etc. and the numerous other articles made from cloth or fabrics in which slide fasteners are employed, such as blankets, tents, slipcovers, article covers, fabric luggage, etc.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently pre ferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

Figure l is an elevational view of the rear of a frag-' mentary portion of a cloth article of the present invention revealing the essential part thereof in terms of the present invention, the embodiment shown in Figure 1 comprising a concealed slide fastener of the present invention disposed in a slit intermediate colinear seams.

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken through the clip on line3-3 of Figure l. p

Figure 4 is a sectional View taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an elevational view similar to Figure 1 but revealing another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view revealing yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the clip shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figures 1 through 4 the cloth article shown therein is designated generallyas 10. Such cloth article 10 comprises the cloth panels A and B which may be formed of any conventional fabric including natural, synthetic, and comof the clip 38 effects the aforesaid straddling of such Patented Apr. 11, 1961 ice bination natural and synthetic fabrics. Each of the cloth panels A and B comprises a front ply 12 and a-rear ply 14. As seen from Figure 1 and Figure 4 the rear ply 14 of each of the panels A and B need be but of relatively small size, sufficient to provide a basis for the securement of the slide fastener 16. Each front ply 12 and rear ply 14 is defined-by a fold line, the two fold lines being parallel to each other and closely adjacent when the slide fastener 16 is closed.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 through 4 the slide fastener 16 is disposed in a slit or gap intermediate seam 18 and seam 20 such as the gap at the side of a womans dress.

The slide fastener 16 comprises a pair of element supporting tapes 2-2 and 24 on which the elements 26 and slider 28 are-carried. The slider, tapes, and elements of the slide fastener of the present invention may be substantially of conventional construction such as that shown in United States Letters Patent 2,738,560, issued March 20, 1956, to Jacques Hug entitled Concealed Slide- Fasteners.

Preferably, unlike the slider of the Hug patent, the slider 28 of the slide fastener 16 of the present invention should be heavily lacquered on the surfaces juxtaposed to the fold lines of the plies 12 and 14 or should be formed of a low friction material on such surfaces to minimize the possibility of abrasion to the fold line portions of the plies 12 and 14.

The tapes 22 and 24 are provided with a welt 30 at their innermost free ends onto which the slide fastener elements 26 are frictionally secured.

The tapes 22 and 24 are joined to the rear plies 14 of panels A and B by respective lines of stitching 32 and 34 which lines of stitching 32 and 34 are parallel to each other when the elements 26 of the slide fastener 16 are disposed in their closed disposition. As seen in Figure 1 the lines of stitching 32 and 34 extend the full length-of the respective tapes 22 and 24. Thus, line of stitching 32 joins the tape 22 to the rear ply 14 of panel A and line of stitching 34'joins the tape 24 to the rear ply 14 of panel B. The lines of stitching 32 and 34 should be as close to the fastener elements 26 as is feasible. As shown in Figure 4 andas indicated in Figure 1 when the slide fastener elements 26 are in closed disposition the lines of stitching 34 are concealed from the front by the front plies 12 of panels A and B and are obscured beneath the closed slide fastener elements 26. In order to observe the lines of stitching 32 and 34 on viewing the cloth article 10 from the rear it is necessary to open the slide fastener 16 and pivot the slide 40 and 42 of the tapes 22 and 24. While the front end slide fastener elements 26, the rear end 44 of clip 38 projects beyond the lowermost ends 40 and 42 of the tapes 22 and 24. As seen in Figure 7, the rear end 44 of clip 38 is beveled inwardly. This inward beveling of the rear end 44 of clip 38 prevents the users skin or undergarments from being scratched by the free edge of the rear end 44 of clip 38. It is to be noted from Figure 1 that the rear end portion 44 of clip 38 is concealed rear plies 14 of panels A and B.

The clip 38 straddlesthe slide" fastener elements 26 which extend to the lowermost ends.

It is noted from Figure 4 that the closer the lines of stitching 32 and 34 are to the fastener elements 26 the less possibility there is for a failure on the part of the front plies 112 to conceal the slide fastener 16. The need for positioning the lines of stitching 32 and 34;as close to the elements 26 increases as the weight of the fabric forming the panels A and B decreases. Thus, for

very lightweight or sheer fabrics, such as are used in silk womens blouses, for the maximum pleasing effect it is necessary that the lines of stitching 32 and 34 be as close as possible to the welts 30 of the tapes 22 and 24.

In Figure there is shown the slide fastener 16 of the embodiment of Figures 1 through 4 applied to a cloth article in which the slide fastener 16 is adjacent the uppermost edge 46 of the cloth article 10a, while the seam 20:: extends beneath the slide fastener 16. The type of construction shown in Figure 5 would be used, for example, in womens skirts. In closed disposition, such as shown in Figure 5, the appearance would closely simulate an extension of the seam 20:: when viewed from the front, with only the tab of the slider'and a slight notching at the uppermost edge to indicate the presence of a slide fastener in the cloth article 10a. Since the slide fastener 16 is identical with the slide fastener used in the embodiment of Figures 1 through 4, the clip 38 extends from the straddled fastener elements at the lowermost end of the slide fastener 16 to the region occupied by the seam 20a. As with the embodiment of Figures 1 through 4 the clip 33 in Figure 5 is inwardly beveled at its lowermost end.

In Figure 6 there is shown a second embodiment of the slide fastener of the present invention, designated 16b in the cloth article 10b of Figure 6.

In the slide fastener 16b of Figure 6 the clip 38b is disposed entirely on thetapes 22b and 24b and extends upwardly from the lowermost ends 40b and 42b of such tapes 22b and 24b. The clip 38b straddles the slide fastener elements 26b which extend downwardly to the lowermost ends 40b and 42b of the slide fastener 16!).

It is desirable for maximum safety that the lowermost edge, namely the edge at the rear end 44b of clip 38b should be inwardly beveled so that a free edge is not presented by the slide fastener 16b.

The slide fasteners of the present invention possess the advantage of being relatively flexible in terms of their application to cloth articles. Thus, since it is most desirable that the lines of stitching, such as thelines of I stitching 32 and 34 in the embodiment designated 16 or the analogous lines of stitching 32b and 34b be as close as possible to the slide fastener elements, the slide fastener embodiments of the present invention lend themselves to insertion methods in which the lines of stitching joining the tapes to the-rear plies are effected while the slider of the slider fastener is disposed in a position away from the region undergoing joinder through the rear plies, followed by the movement of the slider to the stitched region (close stitching being not possible adjacent to fastener elements carrying the slider) followed by the removal of unjoined tape portions (such as the lowermost portions of the tape formerly occupied by the slider), with the clip being secured to the lowermost portion of the slide fastener and serving as a stop to prevent the slider from being disengaged from the slide fastener upon the opening of the slide fastener. permits concealed slide fasteners of the present invention to perform more satisfactorily and present a more at-,

tractive appearance in closed disposition, namely precisely simulating a seam, than any other form of concealed slide fastener known to us.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing fron1 the spirit or es This We claim:

1. A concealed slide fastener including a pair of tapes, a welt on the inner edge of each of said tapes, a series of interlocking fastener elements each having an inner end for effecting interlocking cooperation with a neighboring fastener element on the other tape and an outer end which embraces the welt on the inner edge of its tape with its tape extending upwardly and overlapping said outer end when said slide fastener elements are in their closed disposition whereby each of the tapes is folded above and overlaps the slide fastener elements with the folded portion of the tapes being in tight abutting engagement, a slider on said tapes and a bottom stop, said bottom stop being substantially C-shaped in transverse crosssection, said bottom stop straddling the welts and some of the fastener elements of each of the tapes and being juxtaposed to a free end of the tapes, said bottom stop extending across the free ends of thetapes only on one sides of the tapes so that at least a portion of said bottom stop is hidden by said tapes when the slide fastener is viewed from the other side of the tapes. I

'2. A cloth article having a slide fastener which is substantially concealed in the slide fasteners closed disposition in which closed disposition the slide fastener closely simulates a sewn seam including a pair of cloth members, each of said cloth members being folded along a fold line to form a front ply and a rear ply, said fold lines being straight and parallel and tightly abutted when said slide fastener is in its closed disposition, said slide fastener comprising a pair of tapes, the rear ply of each cloth member being sandwiched intermediate one tape of the slide fastener and the front ply of said cloth member, a welt on the inner edge of each of the slide fastener tapes, a series of interlocking fastener elements secured to said tapes, each of said fastener elements having an inner end for effecting interlocking cooperation with a neighboring fastener element on the other tape and an outer end which embraces the welt on the inner edges of its tape with its tape upwardly extending and overlapping said outer end when said slide fastener is in closed disposition whereby when said slide fastener is in closed disposition each of the tapes is folded over and overlaps the slide fastener elements with the folded portions of the tapes being in tight abutting engagement, a slider, and a clip which is substantially C-shaped in transverse crosssection straddling the welts of each of the tapes and being juxtaposed to a free end of the tapes which is opposite to the tape ends containing the slider in its closed disposition., said clip extending across the inner ends of the tapes only on one side of the tapes so at least a portion of said clip is hidden by said tapes when the slide fastener is viewed from the other side of said tapes said clip sential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention. H 1

5. A cloth article in accordance with claim 2 in which the clip of the slide fastener extends beyond the free ends of the tapes of the slide fastener adjacent to said clip.

6. A cloth article in accordance with claim 2 in which each tape of the slide fastener is stitched only to its juxtaposed rear ply of its adjacent cloth member by a line of stitching which is closely adjacent the fastener elements carried by said tape, with the lines of stitching of the two tapes forming the slide fastener being parallel to each other and disposed beneath the fastener elements when the slide fastener is in closed disposition.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Berlin May 21, 1935 Behrens July 4, 1939 Marinsky Nov. 5, 1940 Frank Jan. 14, 1941 Babcock Aug. 15, 1950 Roseman July 13, 1954 6 Humphreys Jan. 21, 1958 Sutton et a1. May 27, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany 1 Feb. 23, 1937 Great Britain Aug. 2, 1938 Great Britain Feb. 28, 1951 Great Britain Feb. 29, 1956 France Apr. 2, 1957 

